In celebration of McIntire’s 100th
anniversary in 2021, this special webinar edition of our Centennial Speaker
Series features a thought-provoking conversation between John Chambers, Former
Executive Chairman and CEO at Cisco, and current Founder and CEO at JC2
Ventures, and pioneering digital media entrepreneur Rebecca Weeks Watson
(McIntire ’01), Founder and Producer of The Reveal Co. Students from McIntire
Professor Eric Martin’s “Managing Innovation” class also participate in the
conversation by facilitating a virtual Q&A between Chambers, Watson, and
McIntire alumni around the world.
When John Chambers joined Cisco in
1991, it was a company with 400 employees, a single product, and about $70
million in revenue. When he stepped down as CEO in 2015, he left a $47 billion
tech giant that was the backbone of the internet and a leader in areas from
cybersecurity to data center convergence. Along the way, he led Cisco through
the acquisition of 180 companies and turned more than 10,000 employees into
millionaires. Widely recognized as an innovator, an industry leader, and one of
the world's best CEOs, Chambers is now investing in a new generation of
game-changing startups, as the Founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, helping
founders become great leaders and scale their companies.
Rebecca
Weeks Watson, McIntire ’01, is a digital
media producer and entrepreneur who has been awarded two U.S. patents. After
starting her career in finance and then consulting for Match.com, she pursued
her interest in the startup world. She was on the founding team and led
business development for two marketing technology companies, one of which
was acquired by Meredith Corporation. She has spoken at 50 conferences
nationwide, enjoys lecturing at the McIntire School, and this fall will teach a
course on lean startups at Davidson College. Rebecca founded a groundbreaking interview
series called "The Reveal," which uncovers the personal stories
of world-class leaders. Rebecca graduated with distinction from the McIntire
School and was chosen for the Women’s Leadership Development Award.
